Grain-separator



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. 0. GLOSZ. GRAIN SEPARATOR.

No. 434,249. v Patented Aug. 12, 1890.

WWII/$83M m N708 $3 M.

(No Model.) 4 4 Sheets--Sheet 2. G. ULOSZ. GRAIN SEPARATOR.

No; 434,249. Patented Aug. .12, 1890.

WITNESSES:

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

0. GLOSZ; GRAIN SEPARATOR.

No. 434,249. Patented Aug. 12, 18 90.

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0. OLOSZ.

GRAIN SBPARATOR.

No. 434,249. Patented Aug. 12, 1890.

' would be injurious to the grinding-rolls.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES CLOSZ, OF ST. ANSGAR, IOWA.

GRAlN-SEPARATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 434,249, dated August12 1890.

Application filed May 27, 1890. Serial No. 353,361. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, CHARLES OLOsZ, acitizen of the United States,residing at StAnsgar, in the county of Mitchell and State of Iowa, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Grain-Separators, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention is directed to the improvement of machines for separatinggrain from foreign substances, and particularly to such machines foreffecting a preliminary separation of the grain from such matter asnails or pieces of metal and gravel that are sometimes found in thegrain, and if not removed My improved machine also effects theseparation from the grain of straw, sticks, weeds, husks, &c., that comewith the grain. In my improved machine the grain is separated from suchmatter by a regular and uniform overflow-discharge from the oppositesides of a tray having a horizontal longitudinal movement only, andwhich serves for accumulating and retaining therein such foreign matteras by its weight must settle and remain in the tray. The provision forsuch uniform .side discharge avoids the objection of a throwing orjumping endwise discharge due to an endwise movement, which tends tocarry with the grain the nails and other heavy matter which it is soimportant to retain in the device, because a side overflow-dischargeproduced by an endwise motion of the device can have no throwing orjumping movement toward such side overflow, and hence the latter must beeven and not liable to carry with it matter heavier than the grain. Tofacilitate such side overflow from the accumulator and retainer, it ismade in the form of a tray, foraminated for a bottom discharge of thesmall stuff and seeds which come with the grain and thereby prevent thepacking and choking in the tray, which would very materially hinder orimpede the side overflow discharge and render the heavy matter liable topass over with the grain, and thus defeat the object of theaccumulator-tray. The grain is supplied to the hopper of the machinefrom a spout or elevator, and passes by a regularoverflow-feed to theplatform-separator, through which the grain, small stuff, and seeds passdown into the accumulator-tray and the side overflow and the bottom discharge therefrom pass into separate bins or elevators, or into the samebin, as may be desired. Provision is made for delivering the grain tothe foraminated tray through a long slot and in a ridge-like body, sothat it can spread evenly over the tray, not endwise but toward theopposite sides thereof, and such side spreading is regulated andcontrolled by automatic gates which form the hinged walls of said longslot. Provision is made for an upward-suction air-blast through theseparator-platform, from below and over the same from the hopper end,and for carrying the dust and light stuff away from the machine outsideof the mill, and for regulating such air-blast.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention, which I will nowdescribe in connection with such drawings, and will specificallydesignate in the concluding claims the parts and combination ofpartswhich consti tute my improvements.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinalsection of my improved grain-separator. cal transverse section taken onthe lines as a; of Fig. 1, through the top suction-blast fan, showingthe air-passages above the separatorplatform. Fig. 3 is a horizontalsection taken Fig. 2 is a verti-,

on the line y y of Fig. 1, showing the separator-platform. Fig. 4isavertical transverse section taken on'the line 0 0 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5is a top view of the tray-hopper. Fig. 6 is a vertical section throughone of the valved air passages of the suction-fan case whichcommunicates with the space above the platform. Fig. 7 is a side view ofthe same, showing the valve-regulating arm. Fig. 8 is a side view of thehoppered tray. Fig. 9 is a top view of the tray, and Fig. 10 is anenlarged cross-section of the same. v

The separating, accumulating, and retaining parts are arranged in a boxa, and with it they form the separator device, which is suitably mountedor suspended in a frame for longitudinal movement only. At the head endof this box is arranged a hopper b, into which the grain is fed andwhich reciprocates with the box. This hopper is made with anoverflow-feed at its rear side by means of a gravity-closing gate 0,which is pivoted so as to hang in such relation to a ridge c on thebottom of the hopper as to allow the grain to push the gate open by thereciprocating movement of the box and the weight of the grain,and thuscause the grain to pass out of the hopper over the ridge with a regularand even feed under the gate and over the ridge between the hopper andthe rear wall of the box. A bottom (1 under the hopper has anoverflow-ridge (1', over which the grain is caused to pass with aregular and even feed to the separator-platform by the reciprocatingmovement of the box. On a level with this hopper-bottom is placed asheet-metal separator-platform, which is corrugated longitudinally so asto form ribs c, which are quite high and extended the length of theplatform. Inthe channels between these ribs are openings f, which are ofoblong form and stand crosswise within said channels. Between theseopenings are formed ridges g, which extend upward, inclined from thefront edge of one opening to the rear edge of the other opening, inwhich the ridge terminates in a spear-point h, which stands toward thedischarge end and forms the highest point of the ridge. These ridges areintersected by the opening f, and form shallow inclines e on each sideof the ridge and along the ribs, and slope down from the spear-point andthe highest edge of the opening on each side of said point to the lowestedge of the next opening, and thereby cause the long stuff to pass overthe openings without catching therein and the grain and heavy particlesto settle on the sloping sides and pass through the curved ends 2' ofthe openings which are enlarged on each side of the spear point, whichonly project into the opening at one edge. The approximate heart shapeof the openings, the inclined ridges g intersecting the openings, andthe sloping sides 0 of the ridges g make a separating-platform speciallyand advantageously adapted for a preliminary separation of grain fromlong stuff. This platform is hinged at its hopper end to the frame bythe pivot-pins 2' Fig. 3, and is adjusted higher or lower at itsdelivery end by the screw-boltsj, passing through slots in the sides ofthe box, to which the platform is clamped by said bolts when set to thedesired inclination to increase or diminish the passage of the grainover the platform. The stuff passing off the end of this platform dropsinto a closed end of the box a and is discharged therefrom by means of adoor Z, which opens and closes with a gravity and flap movement by thereciprocating action of the box, and thus provides for the discharge ofthe stuif passing over the platform-separater from a box which is closedat the discharge end, as seen in Fig. 1, for a purpose to be presentlystated. Di- .rectly under this sheet-metal separating-platform I providea foraminated receiving-tray on, closed at its ends, into which all thematter passing through the separating-platform is received and fromwhich the grain is disshaking action of the device.

charged by overflowing its two opposite sides in a way which I shallpresently state. Between the separating-platform and the bottom tray Iprovide the box with a long horizontal hopper or chute, formed by twoboards 77. inclining downward from the inner walls of the box, so as toform a middle slot 19, having a length equal to that of theseparator-platform and of the tray, and wide enough to let the grainpass freely down through it all along its length. This slot is somedistance above the bottom of the tray, and for the purpose of deliveringthe grain upon the tray in an underflow-ridge or strip-like body Iextend the walls q of the slot downward to near the bottom of the tray,and thereby form a long narrow trough which opens into the middle of awide foraminated tray. I hang the walls q of this slot below theinclined sides a, so as to yield outward from each side of the slot, andfor this purpose I hinge said walls to the under side of each inclinedboard along the slot-forming edge by straps r, or otherwise, so thatthey will hang down and be free to be pressed outward, so as to increasethe width of the space between their lower edges, and thereby give afree uniform sheet-feed of the grain from the slot under the edges ofthe swinging walls along the middle of the length of the tray, and thusdistribute it evenly thereon toward each side by the longitudinal Thehanging walls for this purpose have only a limited outward swingingmovement caused by the pressure or gravity of the grain in seeking anoutlet from between them and in effecting such outlet by an underflow.The outward swinging movement of the walls is limited by the manner inwhich they are hinged, so that their upper beveled edges will form stopswhich abut against the under sides of the inclined boards a, which formthe slot, and thus allow the said walls to open sulficiently to insurethe proper under-flow and prevent the choking of the slot.

The tray is preferably made of sheet metal of a length equal to that ofthe hopper-slot and of a width a little less than that of the box, asshown in Figs. 1, 4, and 10, and is secured in a horizontal position andslightly inclined upward at each end at m, Fig. 1, for the purpose ofpreventing an endwise throwing action of the grain and its collectionagainst the closed ends of the tray, which with a perfectly flat bottomit would be liable to do, and thereby to cause an unequalv overflow,

which might carry olf such matters as are intended to be retained in thetray. The sides 8 of 'the tray are preferably made vertical andadjustable and of sufficient height above the bottom to retain the heavymatters, while the grain will overflow these sides in a thin sheet andpass down upon the inclined bottom t of the box to a suitablereceptacle, as seen in Figs. 1 and t. I prefer to make the tray-sides oftin and to bend their upper edges t inward, so as to form projectinglips to prevent IIO , with the moving grain in the side flow.

or help to prevent the passage of nails or other heavy particles withthe overflow moving grain. .I prefer to make the sides in sec-v tionsand to adj nst them by slots u and screws 1), as seen in Fig. 8, to suitthe end throw of the tray and prevent any undue overflow, and to set theend sections, if necessary, higher than the middle section.

I prefer to construct the bottom of the tray with a longitudinal centralridge formed by a bar to, and to form the tray-bottom into two shallowtrays, as seen in Figs. 9 and 10, the better to retain the heavymatters.

For effecting the separate discharge of the small seeds and fine stufffrom the bottom of the tray through its openings, I provide it with abottom as, inclining toward the discharge end of the separatorplatform.This bottom discharge for small stuff is important to prevent thepacking or clogging of the grain in the bottom of the tray, because ifthe grain should pack or clog in the tray the nails and heavy particleswould be liable to'pass off This side and bottom discharge from the traykeeps it always in condition to retain the heavy matters, which canneither pass through the bottom openingsor over the sides, and it willbe understood that the bottom openings are only large enough to permitthe small seeds, stufi, and dust to pass through them to keep the grainmoving freely over the surface of the tray.

The separating device is preferably supported so as to have only ahorizontal or longitudinal movement, which I find is best adapted to theside overflow-discharge from the tray and gives a regular and uniformoverflow, whereas if such overflow were in the directionof the movementof the tray it would be more or less irregular and cause a throwing orjumping of the grain in a body, which would be liable to carry with theoverflow 'the matters which should be retained in the tray. For thispurpose the box of the device is supported by four spring-plates y, twoon each side, which are attached to the top of the box and to the bottomof the frame, and the device is operated by a suitable eccentric P; on ahorizontal cross-shaft supported in the frame at the head end of thedevice, and which shaft is operated by a pulley and belt from anysuitable power.

This machine is intended to be used in the mill or in what is known asan elevator for handling or storing grain, and in such use no air-blastis required for the separation and cleaning which is effected by thetray. For the separating action of the top sbakin g platform, however, Iuse a suction-blast, which I will now describe. At the tail or dischargeend of the machine a fan-case 2 is mounted upon the frame and opens intothe box above the said platform by a passage 3 at each side of the case,and which communicates with the latter by the openings 4, so that thefan 5,

being revolved, sucks the air upward into the the draft is both underand above the plat-- form, up through the openings therein, and alongand over the platform and through and over the feed-flow from thehopper, the aircurrents passing off through the fan-case. This under andupper suction causes separate and distinctair-currents and gives a veryeffective clearing action to the grain and carries the dust out of theroom. In this upward suction-blast the form of the openings and theaction of the spear-point ridges in the shaking platform gives theadvantage of the full and free force of the air-currents up.

through the grain and straw and lifts and loosens the latter over theopenings, so as to 'free the grain and carry off the dust.. To obtainthe full effect of such suction-blast, the discharge end of the box andthe space over the platform are closed, so that the air-blast must bedrawn from the two openings 7.and: '8 beneath and above the receivingend of the platform, while the gravity-closin g action at the dischargeendl of the box will tend to be kept closed by the force of such suctionand will open by a flap action to discharge the matter passing off fromthe end of the platform.

For regulating the force of the suctionblast I provide an automaticvalve 9 within the vertical passages 3 3, which connect the fan-casewith the interior of the box. This valve 9 is pivoted so as to hang downto open.

with the valve, so as tov indicate the position of the latter at alltimes, and by means of pins 11 to regulate and determine the extent ofthe closing movement of the valve by placing the pins in holes 12 in thecasing, so as to form stops, as seen in Fig 7. This valvearm may beprovided with a weight 13, which can be adjusted by a screw tosuit theforce of the suction-blast, the object being to render the force of theblast as uniform as possible. The normal position of the valve isvertical to allow it to catch the blast and be swung up therebyaccording to the force of the blast and the adjustment of the weight,and thus regulate the force of the suctionblast according to the speedofthe fan and to suit the character of the cleaning and separation. Inthis construction it is important to notice that the hopper b is mountedupon ICC.

the shaking platform, while the fan-case 2 is mounted upon the fixedframe, so that the suction-passages 3 extend into the box-space abovethe platform by the short pipes 14, extending through openings 15 in thetop of the box, which allow the latter to move over said pipes in itsreciprocating movements, as in Fig. 6.

The overflow-feed from the hopper b to the bottom d, and theoverflow-feed from the latter over the ridge d, give a uniformdistribution of the grain into the separate channels of the platform,the corrugations of which are on alevel with the platform-overflow ridged, as seen in Fig. 1.

The heavy matters retained in the tray can be removed through doors inthe sides of the box as may be found necessary.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen that the tray is of less width thanthe box a, so as to leave a space between them for the overflowing grainto pass down at each side of the box upon the inclined bottom t, as seenin Fig. 1.

I claim the following as my several improvements:

1. In a grain-separator, the combination, with alongitudinally-rcciprocating box, of an upper separating-platform, ahopper n below said platform having a long middle slot 1) and hingedwalls q depending from the sides of said slot, and a wide foraminatedtray m, having raised sides 8, closed at each end and arranged beneathand in the described relation to said hinged hopper-walls, substantiallyas described, for the purpose stated.

2. In a grainseparator, the combination, withalongitudinally-reciprocating box, of an upper separating-platform, ahopper n below said platform having a long middle slot 19 and hingedwalls q depending from the sides of said slot, and a wide foraminatedtray an, arranged beneath said hinged hopper-walls and having adjustablesides 8, provided with a lip at their upper edge extending above andoverhanging said tray and closed at each end, substantially asdescribed, for the purpose stated.

3. In a grainseparator, the combination, with alougitudinally-reciprocating box having a top hopper b at one end and abottom chute i, an upper separating -platform arranged to receive thegrain from said hopper, a long under hopper n, arranged to receive thegrain from said platform and havinglong hinged depending walls (1 in thelong hopperopenin g1), and a foraminated tray m, arranged beneath saidlong hinged hopper-walls, having a width less than the interior of thebox and provided with raised sides .9, and a bottom chute 5E, incliningin a direction opposite to the bottom chute tof the box, substantiallyas described.

4. The combination, in a grain-separator, of thelongitudinally-reciprocating box,the separating-platform, and the hoppern, havingthe hinged bottom walls (1 at its middle opening, with aforaminated tray m, having the raised sides .9, the upwardly-inclinedends m, a middle ridge corresponding to the hinged walls, and a bottomchute at, substantially as described, for the purpose stated.

5. In combination, in a grain-separator, a top inclinedseparating-platform having an end discharge, a. horizontal bottomforaminated tray at, having both bottom and side discharges, anintermediate hopper 11., having an underflow into the middle of saidtray, and a box inclosing said hopper and tray and adapted to have anendwise-shaking motion, for the purpose described.

6. In a grain-separating machine, a longitudinally-shaking box a, havingthe hopper b, provided with the overflow -ridge c and the swinging gate0, the bottom Cl beneath said hopper having theoverflow-ridge (1', andthe corrugated separating-platform having the openings f, and theinclined ridges g, intersected by said openings, substantially asdescribed.

7. A longitudinally-shaking tray for grainseparating machines having aforaminated bottom an, inclined upward at each end, provided withvertically-adjustable sides 3 and a bottom chute 00, as described.

8. A longitudinally-shaking tray for "rainseparating machines having aforaminatcd bottom m, inclined upward at each end m and formed with acentral ridge dividing the bottom into two shallow trays and providedwith vertically-adjustable sides .9, in combination with a hopper n,forming closed ends for said tray and having its opening 19 equal inlength to that of the tray and provided with hinged depending walls q q,cooperating with the said platform in the way and for the purposestated.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesscs.

, CHARLES CLOSZ.

Witnesses:

MARTIN Mon, LABS Mon.

